Two Plays Away From MVP Conversation, Kirk Cousins Has Vikings Headed in Right Direction
In an alternate world where Dalvin Cook didn't fumble in overtime in Week 1 and Greg Joseph's 37-yard field goal sailed through the uprights in Week 2, Kirk Cousins would be among the early MVP favorites as the red-hot quarterback of the 3-0 Minnesota Vikings.
In this world, he'll settle for being off to the best individual start of his career and having his team headed squarely in the right direction after a frustrating first two weeks.
Always capable of putting up big numbers but known for inconsistency, Cousins has been both incredible and consistent through the first three games of the 2021 season. The box score numbers speak for themselves: 918 passing yards, eight touchdown passes, zero turnovers, a 73.9 completion percentage and 118.3 passer rating. So do the advanced metrics, where Cousins ranks among the league leaders in QBR (2nd), PFF grade (3rd), and EPA per play (6th).
There are those who point to the Vikings' 1-2 record as further evidence supporting the (often justifiable) narrative that Cousins' gaudy stats don't lead to wins. That's lazy analysis that ignores the context of how Minnesota lost its first two games. Cousins wasn't flawless against the Bengals and Cardinals, but he took care of the ball, moved the chains, and led what would've been a pair of game-winning drives only for the Vikings to find a way to lose both times.
On Sunday against the Seahawks, Cousins was close to flawless, powering the Vikings past early deficits of 7-0 and 17-7 in a much-needed victory at home. He was surgical in his reading of Seattle's defense, his decision-making, and his accuracy. It was a continuation of — and expansion on — his hot start from the two previous weeks, but this time it resulted in a win.
"He’s always been really accurate," Mike Zimmer said. "He’s been in the offense now for a while and I think maybe he just sees these things a little bit more clearly. Defensively, they have some changeups in there that they used today, but he saw those really well ... He’s just really accurate, and he seems to be playing very fast."
It's fair to point out that Cousins has done this plenty of times before in his career. He's always had the ability to play lights-out football for a month or two, but at some point it inevitably comes crashing down with turnovers, poor performances, and disappointing losses. Although Cousins will certainly have his ups and downs over the final 14 games of this season, the pieces appear to be in place for more sustained success than he's ever had.
Like Zimmer mentioned, this is his third year in the same offense. First-year coordinator Klint Kubiak is running the same general scheme his father Gary implemented in 2019, giving Cousins rare stability even if he's once again working with a new OC. The younger Kubiak is off to a great start, putting Cousins in positions to pick apart defenses in the short and intermediate game. He hasn't even gotten going with deep shots off of play-action — a staple for the Vikings in 2019 and '20 — although those will undoubtedly come when needed.
The Vikings' offensive line also appears to be better than it's ever been since Cousins' arrival in 2018. He's always thrived when given a clean pocket, and he's getting that luxury more and more this year thanks to the effectiveness of a young, ascending O-line. Cousins once again has a fantastic ground game to lean on, with Kubiak dialing up some creative screens as well. Lastly, he's got four dynamic targets at his disposal in Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and the emerging K.J. Osborn and Tyler Conklin.
"Just his attitude," Thielen said when asked what has stood out about Cousins this year. "He's just no fear. He's not worried about anything other than going out there and doing his job. I think he's a guy who now is able to be in the third year of this system and be around a lot of us players, and he just kinda trusts us and trusts the system. He’s been like that all year. It’s been a different Kirk."
Everything is coming together at the right time for Cousins, who needs an excellent season to prove he's the long-term answer at quarterback for the Vikings. So far, he's showing what he can do when he has deep familiarity with the scheme, trusts his offensive line to give him time, and has incredible talent at the skill positions. Cousins has been the engine in the middle of it all, elevating the entire offense and getting his team in position to win.
He's also grown as a leader. Now in his fourth year with the Vikings, Cousins has felt more authority to step up and rally his teammates around him.
"I think he's playing outstanding," Zimmer said. "But not only that, he's playing with a lot of confidence. I really appreciate the leadership that he's been doing lately. It's been so much better, something he wanted to work on this offseason. He's done a great job with that. He's very confident where he's throwing the football, he's very confident with these receivers."
"He has a little more swag to him this year," Alexander Mattison said.
It's that confidence that allowed Cousins to zip balls to Conklin and Thielen in tight windows for touchdowns against Seattle, and to make the play of the game by hitting Osborn in stride on a back-foot throw against an all-out third down blitz.
Cousins has always had the physical tools to put together phenomenal stretches of football. But whether due to mental mistakes or suboptimal circumstances (read: offensive lines) around him, regression has never been far away.
This year, things might just be different. All the pieces are in place, and we're seeing what a more confident, assertive Cousins can do with them.
If he keeps playing like this, the Vikings will have a chance to beat any team on their schedule. And if the wins starting piling up, the MVP buzz will follow. Those are big "ifs," of course. For as well as he's playing right now, Cousins' history is what it is.
Over the next 14 games, we'll find out if this was just another momentary hot streak for the Vikings' polarizing quarterback — or if he can turn this strong start into a full season of elite play.
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